Williams' Jeffries picks Old Dominion

By Bob Sutton / Times-News

Published: Saturday, July 27, 2013 at 12:21 AM.

Williams High School linebacker / running back Jaylin Jeffries met his self-imposed deadline to accept a football scholarship offer before the season began by giving a verbal commitment to play for Old Dominion this week.

“I knew I needed to make a decision before football season started so I knew I had that scholarship waiting for me,” Jeffries said Friday. “It has just been a blessing.”

Jeffries projects to be an outside linebacker for the Monarchs, who have a relatively new program and are future members of Conference USA. Old Dominion is 38-10 in four seasons since resurrecting football, playing the past two years in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Jeffries, 17, said his decision came down to Old Dominion, which is located in Norfolk, Va., or Ball State, which is directed by former Elon University coach Pete Lembo and located in Muncie, Ind.

“I had to pick between there and Ball State. I felt more at home at Old Dominion,” he said. “I went down there and felt more of a family. If I could see myself going there without football and being involved and I could do things with my academics.”

Jeffries, who’s a two-time Times-News All-Region linebacker, also had offers from Elon and James Madison. He picked up the James Madison offer while attending North Carolina’s camp last month in Chapel Hill. He also attended camps at North Carolina State and Duke.

“I think he has approached this process in the right way,” Williams coach David Green said. “He did his research. He has really taken a sound approach to the process. He went to the camps. … The way recruiting pretty much works nowadays, the larger schools like the ACC and SEC schools are going to have their offers out before the season.

Williams High School linebacker / running back Jaylin Jeffries met his self-imposed deadline to accept a football scholarship offer before the season began by giving a verbal commitment to play for Old Dominion this week.

“I knew I needed to make a decision before football season started so I knew I had that scholarship waiting for me,” Jeffries said Friday. “It has just been a blessing.”

Jeffries projects to be an outside linebacker for the Monarchs, who have a relatively new program and are future members of Conference USA. Old Dominion is 38-10 in four seasons since resurrecting football, playing the past two years in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Jeffries, 17, said his decision came down to Old Dominion, which is located in Norfolk, Va., or Ball State, which is directed by former Elon University coach Pete Lembo and located in Muncie, Ind.

“I had to pick between there and Ball State. I felt more at home at Old Dominion,” he said. “I went down there and felt more of a family. If I could see myself going there without football and being involved and I could do things with my academics.”

Jeffries, who’s a two-time Times-News All-Region linebacker, also had offers from Elon and James Madison. He picked up the James Madison offer while attending North Carolina’s camp last month in Chapel Hill. He also attended camps at North Carolina State and Duke.

“I think he has approached this process in the right way,” Williams coach David Green said. “He did his research. He has really taken a sound approach to the process. He went to the camps. … The way recruiting pretty much works nowadays, the larger schools like the ACC and SEC schools are going to have their offers out before the season.

“Jaylin had a real positive outlook and he was really appreciative of the offers he received.”

Jeffries said he sent a highlight tape to Old Dominion in January and that initiated the process. Things accelerated after Old Dominion assistant coach Ron Whitcomb visited to Burlington and verified Jeffries’ size (now 6-foot, 215 pounds).

Jeffries made a recent second trip to Norfolk.

“I went once during the spring and then I went to Ball State two weekends ago,” he said. “And just because Ball State was fresh in my mind, I went back to Old Dominion so I could really compare.”

Green said Old Dominion has taken remarkable steps in terms of facilities in restarting its program.

“It’s a good thing for him to get in with a program that’s headed in the right direction,” Green said.

Jeffries also gained 1,303 rushing yards and scored 21 touchdowns last year for Williams. He said he anticipates a similar role this year.

“The same thing I did last year — running back, linebacker and punting,” he said.